Automobile construction.



Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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E. A. DEEDS.

AUTOMOBILE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1. 1911.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

SVSHEETS-'SHEET 2.

E. A. DEEDS.

AUTOMOBILE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED r1z.1.1911.

1,125? l mendept. 7,1915

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

insana automobile constructions,

. act. description.

'ments to provide such a form I construction andV driving connection that EDWARD A. nnnns, or nnvToN, omo.

AUTOMOBILE CONSTRUCTION.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented sent. t, reis.

Application filed February 1, 1911. Serial No. 606,010.

To all 'whom t may concern.' y

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. DEEDs, residing at Dayton, Montgomery'county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Constructions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exstructure of th will simplify the mechanical g clutch and the driving devices between the rear axle and at the same time make a more parts is so arranged a single universal joint intervenlng between secure, economical and advantageous construction. -In accomplishing these objects, the .clutch mechanism with its connecting to permit the use of only the clutchy andthe transmission, this transvmission being located upon the rear axle.

By having the transmission located on the Arear axle, but located near the clutch, this makes possible a long propeller shaft and a straight line drive and multiple torque`isy not exerted on the universal joint. Y

In connection with this constructiomthe brake rodsare supported on the torque tube and on the s ame center as the radius rods so that the effectiveness of the brakes is not disturbed by' uneven road conditions. j

With these and incidental objects in View, and with the further advantageous results such as will be apparent from the ensuing description, the invention resides in certain novel combination of parts, a preferred form of embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings'- and which will now be. more specifically described.

In such drawings,-Figure 1 is a partly sectionalized view taken longitudinally of 'the body of the car; showing the clutch Vmechanism and the connections with the other-part of the driving'mechanism; Fi. lcis a detail` top plan view ofthe usual t* y slot plate through which the control lever and the emergency brake project; Fig. 2 is a' transverse section. approximately on the. Y

location of the parts these improvestruction of the Vthe wheels 23. Adjacent with a single universal joint une 2 2 0f rig. 1; rig. 3 is a detail se@- tional `view ofpart ofthe clutch on the line .3*3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is -a partly sectional-l ized view of part of the clutch; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the under-body construction of the automobile,A showing lthe general wheel, the clutch, the driving mechanism, the transmission, the brake rods, and other parts commonly used inautomobile construction; and Fig. 6 is a detail view` of part of the supporting cross frame which carries the Isupport for the end of the torquetube. Referring to Fig. 5, the under-body concar is shown, in which the side frames 20 Iextend longitudinally of the car, at the rear end of which axle 2l having a casing 22 inclosingl the comprlsing the liyis located the I p usual differential mechanism for 'driving 1s a casing 24 which incloses the usual trans-t mission mechanism which may be of the Well known selective type, with three speeds forward and one reverse. This transmission is controlled in a well known manner by a transmission control lever 25 which projects` through the usual form-of H-slot plate 26.

Upon the movement of the control lever to this casing 22- 25 into the different sides ofthis slotfthe A three speeds forward and the reverse may be selectively operated, this being a construction well knownin the art. The connection between the control lever 25 and the ,transmission box is made by transmission rods 27 and 28 which are cnnected with the dogs 29- and 30 shown in' Fig. l. It will thus be lseen from Fig. Ia that the'control lever 25,J

which in neutral position occupiesthe center portion of the H-slot, may be shlfted laterally to engage either one of fthe' dogs 29 or 1 30, and thereby connect the control lever witheither one of the transmission rods 27 'and 28.`

In some cases itA hasheretofoie been customary to mount transmission -boxes upon the rear axle, but touse two universal joints, one adjacent to the transmission box toward the' rear end of the car,

4onlypa single universal 'joint' is used, the

transmission box isstill kept on the rear axle, and by nieans of this improved conwe;l and the other adjacent 'to the clutch near the-forward end of the fWA ' forward end on approximately the fixed center of the universal joint, and the torque tube incloses the propeller drive shaft 32 l (see also Fig. 1) through which the driving power is transmitted from the clutch through the universal joint, to the rear axle `differential mechanism.

The main engine shaft 40 (see Figs. 1 and l 5) is connected to and drives the fly-wheel 41.- Into this iy-wheel lits the clutch-wheel 42 of the well known cone type. The rearwardend 43 of the'driving shaft 40 projects through the fly-wheel and through the center portion of the clutch mechanism as is shown in Fig. 1. Surrounding this reduced end 43 of the driving shaft is a revoluble collar 44, suitably separated from the shaft 43 by bushing 45. This collar extends rearremains 1n engagement therewith during its ward and is formed with av bent or rightangle portion 46 which serves as a shoulder for the purposes later to be explained. The extreme rearward end of this collar 44 is bolted to a revoluble head 47 which is connected with the universal which will presently be explained.

The forward end of the collar 44 is formed square instead of round, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the purpose of this being to give a driving grip on this collar as will presently be seen. Surrounding this collar 44 is a sleeve 50, the shape of which is clearly seen in Fig. 4 as well as Fig. 1. This sleeve is fast to the clutch-wheel 42 so that as theclutch-wheel slips forward and backward into and out of engagement with the fly-wheel, this sleeve 50 slides in the same manner forward and backward. Annular projections 51 are formed on this sleeve, into which an arm 52-projects extending downward from the clutch pedal 53 in a well known manner. -Thus by operation of the foot pedal 5 3, the arm 52 operates upon the sleeve 50 to' throw the clutch-wheel into and out of engagement with the fly-wheel.

It will be seen that the forward end of the sleeve 50 is always in engagement -with the square portion of the collar 44 and always shifting movement. Therefore when the lclutch is in, the rotation of the fly-wheel rotates the clutchwheel and throughthe sleeve f 50 rotates the interior collar44, thereby rotating the head 47.

A spring 54 is located between the sleeve v50 and the collar 44, bearing at one end 5` against the right-angle portion or shoulder same shoulder 46 of the collar 44 serves as a "seat for the roller bearing 55 against which rests the screw-head 56 of the end of the engine shaft 43.

The aforesaid revolublehead 47, which is f connected to the revoluble collar 44, has projecting rearward from it the short shaft 60 carrying the universal ball 61. Through this ball extends the pin 62 which projects onopposite sides of the ball, into slots 63 formed in the universal head 64. This universal head 64 is made fast at 65 to the aforesaid propeller shaft 32 which extends backward through the torque tube 31 to the rear axle. It thus results that when the clutch is in, the turning of the collar 44 and the .head 47, operates through this universal connection to rotate the propeller shaft 32.

Now although the clutch-wheel 42 and the sleeve 50 move 'backward and forward, or longitudinally, in the shifting of the clutch,

yet the revoluble collar 44 has no longitudi-` in the positions of the propeller shaft 32.

Now at the same time that the propeller shaft is having-this up and down movement with the corresponding up and down movement of the rear axle, of course 'the surrounding torque tube 31 has a similar movement. I have therefore so constructed this device that the torque tube has a pivotal swinging point at approximately this same line of center as the universal ball 61, so that the torque tube and propeller shaft swing upon the same center, thus avoiding the effeet of any multiple torque upon the universal joint. This method of swinging the torque tube is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The cross frame 70 extends transversely between the side frames 20 and carries two hangers 71 in which are pivoted the forked ends 72 of a yoke head or collar 73 which surrounds the forward end of the torque tube 31.

' Thus the forward end of the tube 31 is telescoped into this yoke head so as to permit slight longitudinal movement of the torque axle relatively to the framework of the machine. This telescoping or constructionis clearly shown in Fi It is well known that in automobiles generally, it has been customary .to have two sets of brakes, one set being applied by the foot pedal situated adjacent to the clutch pedal, and the other set being applied by the emergency lever and known as the emergency brake. The various brake pedals and levers are connected by thebrake-rods to the brakes, and diculty has sometimes been experienced in that the effectiveness of the brakes is disturbed on account of uneven road conditions.v yI have sofarranged my construction that this difficulty is minimized and the unevenness of the road has practically no `effect upon the brake-rods'.

Mounted upon the torque. tube 3] (see Figs. 1, 2 'and 5) is a supporting collar 80 which is intended tor serve asa support for the brake rods. Extending laterally from the under-side of scoping tubes 81 and 82 upward the levers 83 and from which project 84. The inside pair of levers 83 are, for the emergency brakes, and areconnected at their forward ends by the pitman-85 to the crank-arm 86 connectedY to the emergency brake lever 87. This crank arm 86 is connected with the emergency brake lever 87 through the tcross shaft 88 upon which is mounted sleeves and connections that connect up the transmission rods 27 and l28 with their respective dogs 29 and 30 as previously explained. The emergency brake-rods 89 are partly shown levers k83. The aforesaidv outside extending upward from the inner from the levers 84,

tube 82, are connected by the brake-rods 90 to the brake-bands which are usually operated by the foot pedal. The connecting linky 91 is shown in' Fig. l extending forward from one lof the levers 84, a/nd this link 91 is connected in the usual manner to the foot pedal such as is shown at 92 in Fig. 5,vv this foot the -pedal usually beingsituated adjacent to also in Fig. lextending backward this collar 80 are the-tele-1 clutch pedal in a well known manner'l and operating when pressed forward, to'

pull thef link 91 forward and thus set the foot brakes through the medium of the brake-rods 90. Thus it will be seen that this supporting collar 8() forms a support for the brake-rods so that the brake-rods (which as is well known, connect with the brakes -on the rear. axle) move up and down with the torque tube as one system.

YNow the point about which the rear axle ,really` pivots in its up anddown movement relatively to the framework, is really deter-y mined bythe push-rods or radius-rods, as they are called. These radius-rods are shown at 100 in Fig. 5, extending from the rear axle 21 to the pivotal points 101 where they are pivoted to the side frames 20 of the car.

' up and down,

Thusit is evident that as the rear axle swings it will swing about these .pivotal points 101 as a center. Thus it will be seen that the brake-rods are supported practically upon this same center line. Likewise the transmission rods have a pivotal support, with reference to the framework, practically upon this same pivotal line as determined by the pivotal points of the radiusrods. Therefore these brake-rods and the transmission rods all move up and down with the torque tube as if practically pivoted or centered upon this one axis, namely, the axis of the pivotal points 101 of the radiusrods. The result is that there is practically no relative longitudinal movements between these rods and the framework of the car due to any such up and down movement of the rear axle. Consequently regardless of unevenness of the road and the travel of the car over bumps, or springing of the car frame up and down relatively to the rear axle, there is no appreciablel eflect upon these brake-rods and hence no change in the effectiveness of the brakes due to such conditions. Moreover, since the same thing is true of the transmission rods 27 and 28 there is no corresponding movement of the aforesaid dogs 29 and 30 which project up into the ll-l-slot plate and are intended to be engaged by the transmission control lever 25 in a well knownl manner. If there were any such oscillatory movement of these dogs duel to theslight longitudinal movements of the transmission f A rods 27 and 28, with unevenroad conditions, 100 then the operator might not be able to en-'f gage the control lever with the desired dog because it would not'be in its proper place directly opposite the center portion of the H-slot, nor might'he sometimes be-able to disengage thel lever owing to similar condltions. The fpresent construction remedies these difficulties and makes' it possible to retain this selective type of transmission and Y at the same time have the transmission lol cated upon the rear axle with its attendant advantages. l

While.- the form of mechanism herein shown constitutes aprefererd form of embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of embodiment 1n various other forms and that these dev1ces are applicable not only to automoblles'but to other kinds of vehicles where condltions of this sort are met with, and these various 12o other forms are 'to be understood as of coming withinV the scope ofthe claims which follow.

What is claimed is yas follows:

1. Tn an automobile construction, the com- 125 bination with an engine driving mechanism, a propeller shaft, and a clutch member vfor -connecting the said engine driving mechtorque tube mounted to swing substantially uponthe same pivotal center with said universal joint; and a forward bearing for said universal joint associated with said clutch member for preventing forward longitudinal displacement of the said universal joint.

2. In an automobile construction, the combination with an engine driving shaft, and a clutch member adapted to be 'connected therewith; of a shifting sleeve connected with said clutch member; a revoluble collar located within said shifting sleeve and formed to be rotated thereby, said collar being mounted to maintainI a relatively fixed longitudinal position; a propeller shaft; and

a universal connecting said revoluble collar and said propeller shaft, one element of said universal being connected to said revoluble collar and thereby having a relatively Xed longitudinal position independent of longi# tudinal shifting ofsaid clutch member.

3. In an automobile construction, the conibination with an engine driving shaft, and a clutch lmember` adapted to/ be Vconnected therewith; of a shifting sleeve connected with said clutch member a collar located within said sleeve and formed to be engaged with and rotated by the latter; a propeller shaft; and a universal connecting said collar and said propeller shaft.

4. In an automobile construction, the combination with an engine driving shaft, and clutch device comprising a iy-wheel mounted upon said engine shaft and a clutch wheel coperating with said fly-wheel and jourmember mounted upon the engine shaft and a secondary clutch member coperating with the primary clutch member; of a propeller shaft; a collar connected with and rotating with said propeller shaft; and a sleeve connected with saidsecondary clutch member and comprising means forN connecting the sleeve with said collar to permit longitudinal movement of the sleeve with reference to the collar and to impart rotary` movement to the formed to be rotated thereby; a propellerv shaft connected with said collar; and resilient means llocated between said sleeve and collar abutting against opposite ends of the.

sleeve and collar for causing engagement of said clutch member with said engine driving shaft.

7. In an automobile construction, the combination with an engine driving shaft including an extension thereof, and a clutch member adapted to be connected with said shaft; of a shifting sleeve connected with said clutch member.; a revoluble collar located within said shifting sleeve and formed to be rotated thereby; a propeller shaft connectedv with said collar; resilient means located between said sleeve and collar abutting against opposite ends of the sleeve and collar for causing engagement of said clutch member with said engine driving shaft; 'and a thrust bearing connected with an extension of the main ,driving shaft and abutting against s aid collar to prevent rearward longitudinal displacement of the collar and its connected parts.

8. In an automobile construction, the coinbination with an engine driving shaft including an extension thereof, and a clutch member adapted to be connected with said shaft; of a shifting sleeve connected with said clutch member; a revoluble collar located within said shifting sleeve and formed to be rotated thereby; a propeller shaft connected with said collar; resilient means located between said sleeve and collar abuttingagainst opposite ends of the sleeve and collar for causing engagement of said clutch member with said engine driving shaft; and a thrust bearing connected with an extension of the main driving shaft and abutting against said collar to prevent rearward longitudinal displacement of the collar and its connected parts, said collar also extending l forward to abut against a portion of the engine driving mechanism whereby to limit any Jforward longitudinal movement of the collar. v

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD A. DEEDS. Witnesses: i

H. N.fRini1LE,

E. J. GRAEF. 

